Another pudding which includes a layer of jam, Bakewell tart was originally known as Bakewell pudding and still is in parts of Derbyshire today. There are several stories about how it came into existence, but most are apocryphal as it has long been known in its present form – a pastry case with a jam lining and an almond ‘cake’ topping. This almond mixture is known as ‘frangipane’ in the business, and I always wondered what the connection between it and the flower, frangipani, was. It seems a trifle tenuous, but the almond mix was supposedly named after an Italian aristocrat, Frangipani, who invented a perfume, probably using red jasmine, or frangipani, for the gloves of Louis XIII…
ingredients
Serves 8
Pastry
175g (6 oz) plain flour
a pinch of salt
25g (1 oz) unrefined caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
55g (2 oz) cold unsalted butter, diced
25g (1 oz) cold lard, diced
about 2 tbsp ice-cold water to mix
Filling
55g (2 oz) raspberry jam
3 eggs
115g (4 oz) unrefined caster sugar
115g (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
115g (4 oz) ground almonds
25g (1 oz) icing sugar, mixed with a little water to a thin icing
Method
Make the pastry, adding the finely grated citrus rind, and put it aside to rest for about 20 minutes.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Roll the pastry out to a round to fit a 25cm (10 in) flan ring, and place in the ring. Cut off any excess pastry, and crimp the edges.
Warn the jam and then, if you can be bothered (but it’s the correct way), press it through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds. Spread over the base of the tart.
Meanwhile beat the eggs and sugar together, and then slowly fold in the melted butter and the ground almonds. Pour carefully into the pastry-lined flan ring. Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 35 minutes. Take out and allow to cool. Pour the icing into the centre of the tart and, using a palette knife, spread it as thinly as possible, taking care not to split the crust of
the tart. Leave to set.